tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12244014115468440722018-01-15T08:26:31.735-08:00The Frickin ChickenAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.comBlogger401125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-48920363610903921772014-08-07T19:44:00.000-07:002014-08-07T19:44:02.989-07:00Baked Eggs with Red Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9qH0BaiRM8g/U-QrWEgaZrI/AAAAAAAAY24/Bou48bmjEJQ/s1600/baked+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9qH0BaiRM8g/U-QrWEgaZrI/AAAAAAAAY24/Bou48bmjEJQ/s1600/baked+eggs.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div><br />One day I was pursuing through Pinterest and came across a dish that looked amazing. It was in a cast iron skillet with a red sauce and baked eggs. I didn't even click on the recipe to read about it, but the image stuck in my mind. (It was called&nbsp;shakshuka for those interested.) That being said, the image stuck with me for a couple of days. Last night as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I thought about it and starting thinking, perhaps I could make something using it as an inspiration point with the ingredients already in my house. So this is what I made, I think it was really good. Feel free to change/omit or completely do your own thing! I'm sure I broke a few culinary laws in making this.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Baked Eggs in a Red Sauce</span></b><br /><br />1 package of breakfast sausage<br />1 orange (or whatever color bell pepper or spicy peppers if your prefer)<br />half a bunch of kale<br />1 can of pureed tomatoes<br />1/2 cup heavy cream<br />1/3 stick of butter<br />lots of parmesan<br />mozzarella if you like<br />1/2 tsp of garam masala spice<br />1/4 tsp of ground cardamom<br />4 eggs<br /><br />In a large skillet brown your sausage. When it is mostly cooked add diced bell pepper and kale. Cook until vegetables are tender.<br /><br />In a small sauce pot mix tomatoes, cream, butter and spices. Bring to a boil and let cook until it thickens a bit, by reducing. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. (Don't salt before reducing or it will be too salty!)<br /><br />Pour red sauce over sausage and mix. I threw in some chunks of mozzarella too. Then either butter some ramekins or if you are using an over proof skillet use that. If you are using ramekins, fill half way with tomato sausage mixture an carefully crack an egg on top. Or carefully crack eggs around the skillet. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes or until egg whites are cooked through and egg yolks are still runny. (It may take less time, because I prepped the sauce up ahead of time so it was cold when I put it in the oven.)<br /><br /><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-22943952610919537042014-08-04T12:35:00.003-07:002014-08-04T12:36:35.407-07:00Chili Relleno SoupI have had a few requests lately to resurrect my cooking blog. I really appreciate the compliment that that request is! I hope my food blog serves as an inspiration to get cooking. Or if you do cook often, for some new ideas. I know I get stuck in a rut sometimes! Okay, a lot of times. I'd love to hear if you made one of my dishes or even used it as a jumping off spot for another dish. Sometimes just the inspiration is all that is needed.<br /><br />Right now I'm doing a low-carb deal for the month of August. Just to jump start some weightloss. The thing is, I don't think food should be about counting calories or measuring this or that. So I am not counting carbs. I'm being mindful to not go grab a snack of sourdough with butter (oh my god, I want some toasted sour dough right now!) Or not eating a bowl full of pasta. I'm adding in a lot of veggies and even trying some new ones (daikon radish anyone?).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>If it doesn't look appetizing I don't want to eat it. The other day I came across a green smoothie recipe that the author of the recipe swore tasted like the milk at the end of a bowl of Fruit Loops. Yeah, I know if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And actually the thing is, I probably wouldn't even like Fruit Loops these days since I've been eating a real food diet for so many years now. But I was intrigued and against my better judgement I slurried together ingredients like avocado, almond milk and flax seeds. I barely got a few sips down before I thought to myself WHY am I drinking this? It is disgusting. I love avocado in lots of different ways, sweet liquid avocado is not one of them. I love almonds, almond milk, not so much. Flax seeds, well whatever on those. I get my omega 3's through expensive fermented cod-liver oil, I shouldn't need to add them to a green sludge.<br /><br />All this to say, we eat with our eyes first. It's a good instinct to develop. I think that is why I like taking photos of the food I cook. It makes me take a moment to appreciate the work that went into whatever I cooked that is about to be eaten. It is a way to share my art. And when I'm in a cooking mood, it is a creative art. There are times when sure, I just throw some food together for the family.... but other times that I really get into creating a new or favorite dish.<br /><br />So here is the what I made today for lunch. I took inspiration from the flavors of a Chili Relleno. I love spicy soups and I make them for lunch a lot since the rest of the family is just bleh on soup and the girls are a NO to spicy. We eat dinners together but we usually all eat different lunches.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wfiQv5Of5nU/U9_ePZ58PrI/AAAAAAAAY0Y/KJrSRQ3VgQM/s1600/ChiliRelleno+Soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wfiQv5Of5nU/U9_ePZ58PrI/AAAAAAAAY0Y/KJrSRQ3VgQM/s1600/ChiliRelleno+Soup.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So without further ado... (keeping in mind that I don't actually ever measure, these are just guesses...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Chili Relleno Soup:</b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 yellow or whit onion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1-2 cloves garlic</div>1 pablano pepper and any other peppers you might want to add for spicyness/flavor<br />3 pieces of bacon<br />1/4 tsp of cumin<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 tsp of chili powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 of a package of full fat cream cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup heavy cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups of chicken stock</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1.5 cups of cheese blend of your choosing (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, colby, etc.)</div><br />Cut bacon into small pieces and fry in the bottom of a medium soup pot. When crispy remove. Dice and cook onion in the bacon grease, letting it get a bit brown around the edges. Add cut up chili peppers and minced garlic. When the chilis start to get soft, add the heavy cream and cream cheese. Whisk until the cream cheese melts completely. Add salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Add chicken stock and bring to a bare simmer. Slowly, slowly add grated cheeses, whisking between each small handful, making sure it completely is incorporated before adding more cheese. Or your soup will separate and it will look gross. Cook at a low bowl for about 10 minutes. Serve adding bacon garnish back in. <br /><br />Serves 2 big bowls or 4 small ones, keeping in mind that with all that cheese and cream it is quite filling soup! Also keep in mind that since there is no thickening agent this is a thin soup.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-41323078889543291512013-12-11T18:58:00.002-08:002013-12-11T18:58:27.515-08:00Savory Butternut Squash Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BEiJK0YlqUg/Uqkf1Bn34uI/AAAAAAAAWc8/FpsLEbRAKNs/s1600/20131211_173909%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BEiJK0YlqUg/Uqkf1Bn34uI/AAAAAAAAWc8/FpsLEbRAKNs/s400/20131211_173909%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;I'm posting this recipe because it was intriguing and it was good, but not something that was so good that I'd want to make it over and over. But if you like the flavors, it might be something different for your family. I found the original recipe on an African Food Website, but it didn't have any information so I'm not sure if this is an authentic African recipe or what. I tried googling, but could only find sweet pies (think pumpkin pie) nothing that resembled this recipe. I did change this up a bit to fit what I had on hand.<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHaNBaLqd6Q/Uqkf3T_be7I/AAAAAAAAWdE/QUatmv9xBpk/s1600/20131211_173242%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHaNBaLqd6Q/Uqkf3T_be7I/AAAAAAAAWdE/QUatmv9xBpk/s400/20131211_173242%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h3><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Savory Butternut Squash Pie</span></h3><br />Crust:<br />1 cup uncooked rice<br />2 cups water<br />1 egg<br />1/4 cup Sesame seeds<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br />olive oil<br /><br />Filling<br />1/2 a good size butternut squash.<br />1/2 pound of bacon<br />one onion<br />1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes<br />3 eggs<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />thyme<br />1/2 cup heavy cream<br />1/2 cup mozzarella cheese<br />1/4 cup goat cheese<br />sprinkle of pine nuts<br />olive oil<br /><br />Cook the rice in water according to package directions. While rice is cooking, peel and cube squash. Place on a cookie sheet with diced onion and bacon that has been cut in bite size pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until bacon is crispy and squash is cooked through. (For crisper bacon, cook separately.)<br /><br />When rice is finished, whisk an egg in a small bowl. Add a spoonful of the hot rice to temper the egg and stir. Add a bit more rice and stir. Then pour the egg into the rice and mix well. Add sesame seeds and stir.<br /><br />Butter a pie dish. Pour rice in and with the back of a spoon, mold the rice around the pie plate in a crust shape. Drizzle a bit of oil on the rice. Bake for 15 minutes. If timed right, it should be cooking on a lower rack than the squash.<br /><br />When both are done, scoop the squash, onions and bacon into the rice add in sun dried tomatoes. Mix 3 eggs and heavy cream and grated mozzarella cheese. Pour the egg mixture over and around the squash. Top with goat cheese and pine nuts. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until egg is set.<br /><br /><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-73939688811860988822013-10-05T19:53:00.001-07:002013-10-05T19:53:31.353-07:00Island Chops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w306cuZ0dvA/UlDN8ql8L1I/AAAAAAAAVpI/LKdNlq3iYEk/s1600/porkchops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w306cuZ0dvA/UlDN8ql8L1I/AAAAAAAAVpI/LKdNlq3iYEk/s400/porkchops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>If you like sweet main dishes, this one is for you! It was delectable. The grill, I think, does make a difference, the dish sort of needs that smoky flavor that a charcoal grill adds to a dish. I'm sure this would be decent stove side or broiled in the oven, but those charcoals really did add to the yum factor.<br /><span style="color: #38761d;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: red;">Island Chops</span></b><br /><br />1 pineapple<br />4-6 pork chops, bone in<br />1/2 cup cashews<br />1 tbsp coconut oil (butter would be fine too)<br />3 tbps apricot jam<br />2 tbsp soy sauce<br />1/4 cup heavy cream<br />1 tbsp sour cream<br />fresh ginger<br />salt and pepper<br />curry powder<br /><br />Sprinkle curry powder, salt and pepper on your pork chops and rub it in. Slice your pineapple. Get grill really hot and grill them until done. I know right? How long? Well that depends on how far your chops are from the coals, how hot your coals are, how thick your chops are. <br /><br />I use the hand pressure test to tell if meat is done. It take some practice but it is pretty reliable. If you press the skin between your pointer finger and thumb with your hand loose that resistance is similar to the resistance that raw meat will give you. If you loosely make a fist and press in that same spot again, that is about what the meat should feel like if you want it pink (like for steak.) Since you want pork cooked further than that, clench your fist, and then press in that same spot. That is how firm well done meat should feel. Hope that helps!<br /><br />For the sauce...<br />In a small dry skillet, toast cashew nuts and then set aside. Melt coconut oil. Add jam, heavy cream, grated ginger (as much or as little as you like) and pepper. Whisk on high until sauce thickens. It'll take a while but then it will happen. Do not walk away or you will either have a boil over or a burnt mess on your hands. When it thickens, remove from heat and add the sour cream. Whisk it in. Taste. If it is too sweet add more sour cream. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.<br /><br />Stack pineapple and porkchops, top with sauce and sprinkle with cashew nuts. Enjoy!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-36585174920921590702013-09-23T20:48:00.000-07:002013-09-23T20:52:37.964-07:00Shrimp Pilaf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yl1jziKdHvI/UkEItTk9Q2I/AAAAAAAAViQ/jjqpGr5P2a8/s1600/ShrimpPilaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yl1jziKdHvI/UkEItTk9Q2I/AAAAAAAAViQ/jjqpGr5P2a8/s400/ShrimpPilaf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Ding ding ding, another winner! This came out so tasty and was pretty quick to throw together. It's one that I'll probably want to make again, so I'm writing down the "recipe" before I forget what I did.<br />-Amanda<br /><br />1 bag of shrimp (is that a pound?)<br />3-4 strips of bacon (optional??)<br />6-8 asparagus<br />1/2 zucchini<br />4-6 button mushrooms<br />1 carrot<br />1 clove garlic<br />1/2 cup uncooked rice<br />uncooked spaghetti noodles (about the amount for one serving)<br />olive oil<br />1/4 cup white wine vinegar<br />broth (I used shrimp, but chicken would be fine)<br />splash of heavy cream<br />italian seasonings<br />curry powder<br /><br />Cook rice. 1/2 cup of rice to 1 cup of water, salt and a glug of olive oil. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Set timer for 15 minutes. Bam.<br /><br />In a large skillet start cooking diced bacon. While bacon is frying, cut asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Dice zucchini, and carrot. Slice mushrooms. Mince garlic. Bacon should be about done. Add a few glugs of olive oil and all your vegetables. Stir occasionally. Add italian seasoning and about 1/4 tsp of curry powder. Break spaghetti noodles into 1/2 inchish pieces and add to vegetables. Keep stirring on medium heat. If anything starts to stick, throw some more olive oil in the skillet. <br /><br />Meanwhile peel those dang shrimp. Keep the shells and stick them in your freezer for use on another day. &nbsp;You don't have to do this, but if you don't you are throwing away potential free shrimp stock, just saying. (I &nbsp;make stock when I have about a gallon size zip bag of shells ready to go.)<br /><br />Vegetables should be cooked and starting to brown, rice should be just about done too. Deglaze the pan with some white wine vinegar. (or whatever vinegar you have on hand.)<br />Add shrimp to the skillet and stir it until almost cooked through. Add rice, about 1/2 cup of stock and a splash of heavy cream. Stir until shrimp is cooked through and the noodles are not crunchy. Enjoy!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-29660319249378521092013-07-06T21:33:00.001-07:002013-07-06T22:05:40.172-07:00Water Kefir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Water Kefir is a fizzy probiotic drink. A lot of people think of it as a healthy homemade soda pop replacement. It is basically fermented sugar water. The kefir grains (which aren't grain at all, but actually yeasts and bacterias) work to eat the sugar converting it into simple sugars that have probiotics, higher vitamins (because they are made more easily digestible) including hard to get B vitamins. For a much better explanation check out this<a href="http://www.yemoos.com/faqwaintro.html"> website</a>, or google Water Kefir. There is also a Milk Kefir that you use with Raw Milk. This is not that.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRtf_7c5Lik/UdjpKg_zQUI/AAAAAAAAU40/lzIyS_VsIPw/s1600/20130706_204331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRtf_7c5Lik/UdjpKg_zQUI/AAAAAAAAU40/lzIyS_VsIPw/s400/20130706_204331.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Water Kefir in the quart jar on the right, has been fermenting for 24+ hours. It is pretty forgiving. My house was pretty cool today so I let it go a little longer. On hot days it may not need all 24 hours. But it is hard to mess up. More than 48 hours and you risk starving the grains though. On the left are swing top bottles,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064ODUDK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0064ODUDK&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=dittanddott-20"> like these</a>. You don't have to use swing tops. You can reuse beer bottles, if you buy extra caps and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064OECVY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0064OECVY&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=dittanddott-20">capper</a>, you can reuse store bought kombucha bottles or you can use another quart mason jar. I have found that the swing top bottles and the beer bottles create the most fizz. And sometimes if you use kombucha bottles they become hard to open, due to the pressure build up. Do not use plastic bottles. It's handy to have a funnel and you'll need a small strainer. Plastic is recommended, but since the grains don't stay in it long, I use metal. You want to keep your grains away from metal for the most part, I've read.<br /><br />Pour a bit of your favorite juice in the bottom of each bottle. This is a cherry juice. My favorite is grape. If it is a lighter flavor juice I add a bit more (like the cherry above), grape I use a bit less. Experiment to your liking. Citrus juices are not recommended, although some people like to put a slice of lemon. Ginger also works well in kefir. You can also use fresh fruit instead of juice. Berries work excellently. Strawberry kefir is delicious!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jxNEFtodi18/UdjpKmYfkMI/AAAAAAAAU5g/qecXuVl8qtg/s1600/20130706_204411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jxNEFtodi18/UdjpKmYfkMI/AAAAAAAAU5g/qecXuVl8qtg/s400/20130706_204411.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Pour your kefir over your juice, carefully straining the "grains" out. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TDaMeR_6S-s/UdjpK32fF9I/AAAAAAAAU44/EYG6fWeevKE/s1600/20130706_204539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TDaMeR_6S-s/UdjpK32fF9I/AAAAAAAAU44/EYG6fWeevKE/s400/20130706_204539.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>&nbsp;Pour the grains back into the quart mason jar you use. You don't have to wash this out too often. And when you do, make sure there is no antibacterial soup residue left behind. (It'd kill the kefir...)<br /><br />&nbsp;For one quart of kefir you want to use 1/4 cup of grains and 1/4 cup of sugar. For most batches I use organic cane sugar. Sometimes I do half organic cane sugar and half succant. Kefir thrives on the succant, but it has a stronger flavor in my opinion so I don't use it as often. If your grains ever get a bit sad (they take too long to ferment, they aren't getting as bubbly, they start to get very, very small) use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EA3M92/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B000EA3M92&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=dittanddott-20">sucanat</a> and or 100% pure <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HQC31Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B002HQC31Y&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=dittanddott-20">blackstrap molasses</a> (just a bit) to perk them back up. They need the minerals that plain white/cane sugar doesn't provide.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-htqtzTFmrO8/UdjpLOQ_2JI/AAAAAAAAU5A/2c3Lzbx9UXI/s1600/20130706_204550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-htqtzTFmrO8/UdjpLOQ_2JI/AAAAAAAAU5A/2c3Lzbx9UXI/s400/20130706_204550.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>&nbsp;This time I did half cane sugar and half sucanat.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B0Mc7EMfWxo/UdjpLj39LRI/AAAAAAAAU5I/3TUTxrqZ85g/s1600/20130706_204612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B0Mc7EMfWxo/UdjpLj39LRI/AAAAAAAAU5I/3TUTxrqZ85g/s400/20130706_204612.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>&nbsp;Another way to perk up your grains or to help them multiply faster (so you can have more than 1 quart going or so you can share with a friend) is to add a few drops of this concen trace mineral drops to them. I bought this at Amazon over a year ago and still have most of the bottle. A few drops will do fine and not every batch. (It's also good to add a few drops to your drinking water if you've been sweating a lot.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IO6g6uqSkKQ/UdjpL655zVI/AAAAAAAAU5Q/G0NofrhI3lU/s1600/20130706_204715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IO6g6uqSkKQ/UdjpL655zVI/AAAAAAAAU5Q/G0NofrhI3lU/s400/20130706_204715.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Add filtered water and shake to distribute the sugar. I use a Britta filter. It's important to remove the chlorine, which will kill the kefir.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4TF5eQ4CHTY/UdjpMMkEHeI/AAAAAAAAU5c/fr38hmjOpM8/s1600/20130706_204724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4TF5eQ4CHTY/UdjpMMkEHeI/AAAAAAAAU5c/fr38hmjOpM8/s400/20130706_204724.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Set on your counter and ignore for 24 ish hours. In hot weather I will sometimes put the flavored (second fermented kefir) in the fridge after 12 hours. Otherwise after 24 hours it is also ready to be refrigerated. One clue for you to check is when you see small bubbles at the top of your juice. And then you can start the process all over again.<br /><br />*** Important to note. If you need a break from your kefir or you are going out of town, just get to the step where you are about to leave them on the counter to ferment, but instead, stick them in your fridge. They will keep for weeks like this and I think you can even rescue them if you forget about them for several months. If you are planning on taking a several month break from them, you can dehydrate them. I have not done this myself, but have heard of plenty of success stories.<br /><br />If you just have them in fridge storage, when you take them out, depending on how long they've been in the fridge, they may be ready to pour on juice or may need to sit out for a bit. You can tell by how fizzy and the smell once you get some practice at it. ***Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-40652253372170505272013-06-27T17:40:00.003-07:002013-06-27T17:40:55.737-07:00Chicken and Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cQnVMAFTR68/UczYmz9GXBI/AAAAAAAAUw4/oBnQFSOwzE4/s1600/20130627_172220%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cQnVMAFTR68/UczYmz9GXBI/AAAAAAAAUw4/oBnQFSOwzE4/s400/20130627_172220%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, so I have been lazy and not posting recipes to Frickin' Chicken in like forever and a half. I put this photo up on facebook and immediately got a request for a recipe. Instead of typing it out there, I figured I might as well take a moment to post here. I'm not sure what this is called, except an easy go to dinner. It'd be easy to swap out the veg. For instance I typically make this with lots of mushroom as the only veg. Tonight I only had two lonely mushrooms in my fridge, but I had a bunch of asparagus. Zuchinni, bell pepper, &nbsp;summer squash would probably all be good substitutes. Whatever your family likes. Even peas would work well.<br />Amanda<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Chicken &amp; Rice</span></b><br /><br />1 cup of white rice (uncooked)<br />2 cups of water<br />pat of butter, however generous you want to be<br />pinch of salt<br /><br />Cook your rice in a small pot, by placing the rice in the pot and covering with water. Add a pat of butter and salt. Bring to a boil and stir. Cover, reduce to low and set timer for 15-20 minutes. When rice is cooked, set it aside.<br /><br />Meanwhile start your chicken dish.<br /><br />1-2 breasts of chicken<br />2 lonely mushrooms (or more if you have them)<br />8-10 sprigs of asparagus<br />2-3 slices of bacon<br />1 cup of chicken stock<br />1 tbsp flour<br />thyme, salt and pepper<br />1 clove garlic<br />1 cup of cream/milk<br />parmesan cheese (optional)<br />butter<br /><br />Start bacon sauting in a large skillet. When it is almost done, add diced mushrooms and asparagus. Chop garlic up small and toss it in too. When the bacon is cooked and veg have had time to cook a bit, add chicken that has been cut into bite size pieces. Add your dried thyme, salt and pepper and stir all on med-high heat. When chicken is about half way done, in a small bowl mix the chicken broth with flour to remove lumps. Pour over chicken and add cream or milk. Stir, bringing to a boil to thicken sauce. Add parmesan cheese if desired. When chicken is cooked through, add in the cooked rice and another pat of butter. Stir. If you want it creamer add a bit more milk. Taste for salt/pepper and enjoy!<br /><br />To kick this dish up a notch, pour all of this is in a buttered baking dish and top with a breadcrumb and olive oil mixture. Bake until breadcrumbs are toasted through. Serve.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-2165671953292365642013-02-24T08:45:00.002-08:002013-02-24T08:45:58.451-08:00Spring Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dz6JqTmSxo/USpAgxdpeyI/AAAAAAAATHI/DA0ARaq9IA0/s1600/20130207_182238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dz6JqTmSxo/USpAgxdpeyI/AAAAAAAATHI/DA0ARaq9IA0/s400/20130207_182238.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I know I've been away for awhile. And I can't promise that I'm back, but I did want to post these awesome spring rolls that I made. They came out tasting so good and they were so easy to make. I've wanted to try and make them for years but never came across rice paper in my store and I never went out of my way to try and&nbsp;acquire&nbsp;it. When I saw it sitting on the shelf of my supermarket the other day, I grabbed a package and took the spring roll plunge! The rice paper was a lot easier to work with than I thought it would be! I'm now planning on making these again and again. By the way, this is my version, I'm not claiming these to be authentic to any cuisine. It was from my memory of spring rolls I've had in&nbsp;restaurants&nbsp;combined with&nbsp;ingredients&nbsp;I had on hand! :)<br /><br />Rice Paper Sheets<br />shrimp<br />avocado<br />romaine lettuce<br />shredded carrot<br />julienned cucumber<br />cilantro or basil (optional)<br /><br />Boil the shrimp in salty water until cooked through. Do not overcook! You don't want rubbery shrimp. Set them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Prep all your ingredients. Finely cut the lettuce, shred you carrot, julienne your cucumber and thinly slice your avocado. Chop your herbs if you plan on using them.<br /><br />Take a large shallow bowl and fill with hot to the touch water. Gently slide one wrapper in the hot water and let it sit for about 5-10 seconds. When it is very pliable, gently lift it up and try to keep it from folding on itself. Spread it out on your cutting board. In the bottom part of the wrapper, about one and half inches from the side, stack your&nbsp;ingredients. Place your shrimp down first (if your shrimp is small, use two), followed by avocado, carrots,&nbsp;cucumber, and lettuce. Take the bottom edge of your wrapper and pull it up and over the shrimp pile. After one complete turn, fold the left and ride sides of the wrapper over the shrimp and lettuce and then continue to roll until you reach the end of the wrapper. Repeat with the rest of your ingredients!<br /><br />Peanut dipping sauce<br />melt about a tbsp of peanut butter in a small dish. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and honey to taste. You can also add chili paste for a hotter dip.<br /><br />Ginger- Apricot dipping sauce:<br />Grate some ginger in a small bowl. Add a tbsp of apricot jelly. Add soy sauce and rice wine vingar to taste.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-15293857252280907932012-09-20T16:20:00.000-07:002012-09-20T16:20:07.470-07:00Chicken Parmesan Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CF_fKCCw2ic/UFuiBsUeXHI/AAAAAAAAQIA/F7O3XAWagp0/s1600/20120920_174715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CF_fKCCw2ic/UFuiBsUeXHI/AAAAAAAAQIA/F7O3XAWagp0/s400/20120920_174715.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>A couple of nights ago, I went to a friend's Pampered Chef parties. I was flipping through the recipe books and saw one entitled "Chicken Parmesan Soup." I didn't have time to look at the recipe closely and I ended up not buying the cookbook, but the title of that dish stuck with me and so I made my own creation of Chicken Parmesan Soup! One of my daughters asked for seconds so that is always a good sign!<br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Chicken Parmesan Soup</span></b><br /><br />1 chicken breast<br />1 large can of crushed tomatoes<br />1/2 can tomato paste<br />3 tbs butter<br />lots of garlic, dried basil and oregano<br />2-3 cups of chicken stock<br />1 baguette of bread<br />Olive oil<br />Mozzarella<br />Parmesan cheese (have about a cup of loosely packed, fresh grated)<br />fresh basil (optional, for garnish)<br /><br />In a skillet (or I just used my soup pot and then rinsed it out) put at least 1/4 cup of olive oil and heat it up. Quickly cube up the baguette (reserve enough to make 1/2 cup of bread crumbs) and add it to the hot oil. Stir it around letting it toast. Add some of the parmesan cheese and some salt and pepper. Remove to a bowl once it is toasted.<br /><br />Slice chicken into thin pieces, like in a chinese stir fry. In a cleaned out soup pot add more olive oil and start browning chicken. Before it is cooked through, add the tomato paste, seasonings (salt, pepper, dried basil, oregano and garlic) Then add the can of tomatoes and the chicken stock. Bring to a very gentle simmer DO NOT BOIL or your chicken will be rubber. Add 1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs. (This thickens the soup a bit.) Add the butter cubed up to the soup. The butter is a trick I learned from Food Network, it mellows out the tangy tomato flavor and adds an awesome depth of flavor to any tomato soup or marinara sauce. Last, add more parmesan to the soup and stir to melt it in.<br /><br />Serve in a bowl with cubed up mozzerella (this starts to melt and gives you strings of cheese as you eat. YUM!) And a few pieces of the toasted baquette. Enjoy!<br /><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-15294977816521372382012-09-16T17:44:00.001-07:002012-09-16T17:44:29.494-07:00My House is For Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y49U2mtke18/UFZxUuF1gOI/AAAAAAAAQCk/bES7fWX1mc0/s1600/House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y49U2mtke18/UFZxUuF1gOI/AAAAAAAAQCk/bES7fWX1mc0/s400/House.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Taking a moment away from my blog to share some exciting news. My husband just got a job in Washington, just across from Portland, OR and so we are moving from Texas up to Washington! I wanted to share the listing and hope you spread the word that my house is for sale. It's an awesome floorplan, with beautiful, mostly private views. It's 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms + office + gameroom, walk in pantry and large closets in all the bedrooms.<br /><br />The official listing with lots of photos and a walk through video is here:<br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.houselens.tv/2025highlanddr.aspx">http://www.houselens.tv/2025highlanddr.aspx</a></span><br /><br />Please check it out and send it to any friends you know who are thinking of moving!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-9537912590875855832012-09-06T16:27:00.003-07:002012-09-06T16:27:59.376-07:00Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6AzBBXavoc/UEkv0CaAVlI/AAAAAAAAP68/5iv_DQLiWvU/s1600/20120906_174915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6AzBBXavoc/UEkv0CaAVlI/AAAAAAAAP68/5iv_DQLiWvU/s400/20120906_174915.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>At best this is&nbsp;labeled&nbsp;a WIP (Work in Progress.) But it was tasty enough to warrant a mention, so that perhaps I can work on it in the future. Tastes sort of like fried coconut shrimp.<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms</b></span><br /><br />4 portobello mushrooms, gills removed<br />1/2 onion<br />3 cloves garlic<br />1/4 stick of butter<br />3/4 package of cream cheese<br />2 cups raw shrimp, diced<br />splash of soy sauce<br />splash of&nbsp;Worcestershire&nbsp;sauce<br />2 tbsp apricot jam<br />1/2 tsp grated ginger<br />1 1/2 cup toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes<br />salt &amp; pepper<br />Olive oil<br /><br />Coat mushrooms in olive oil and grill or broil to get them started cooking. Chop onion, ginger and garlic and saute it in the butter. Remove to a bowl. Mix in cream cheese, apricot jam, worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Add coconut flakes. Stir until everything is mixed well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Then add raw shrimp. Stir. Mound up on mushrooms. Place in a baking dish and cook for 15 minutes at 425 or until shrimp is cooked through.<br /><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-7064879787618781422012-09-06T10:40:00.001-07:002012-09-06T10:40:18.371-07:00Fast & Easy Breakfast Cups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdJJA8awDb4/UEjegi_pEoI/AAAAAAAAP6o/Efnm5tApirA/s1600/20120906_122745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdJJA8awDb4/UEjegi_pEoI/AAAAAAAAP6o/Efnm5tApirA/s400/20120906_122745.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>These are a big hit with our kids so I thought I'd share. It's a fast and healthy breakfast go to in our house.<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Yogurt Cups</b></span><br /><br />In a small sauce pan mix up some frozen fruit and a heaping spoonful of no-sugar added all fruit jelly. You could probably leave the jelly out, but it seems to help with the consistency. Add a squirt of honey. I make this mixture a bit over sweet, so when it mixes with the plain tart yogurt the sweetness evens out. With a potato masher, mash up your fruit mixture until it is almost pureed. Or if you like, you can puree it in a blender for kids who have texture issues. Above I made strawberry and banana. After the strawberries were mashed down, I removed it from the heat and mashed in a banana.<br /><br />&nbsp;Layer in your container jam, whole-milk plain yogurt, jam, yogurt. If your kid (or you) likes granola, then put some in a small snack zip bag and store it on top so they can sprinkle it in.<br /><br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Cottage Cheese Cups</b></span><br /><br />My girls have been eating cottage cheese since they were babies. I didn't put honey in it until they were a bit older, but now it's a favorite, especially with pineapples crushed in! So I just simply mixed some 4% cottage cheese with a bit of honey and topped with crushed pineapples. All ready to be stirred in and enjoyed come morning!<br /><br /><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-10364773718704075172012-08-28T16:28:00.000-07:002012-08-28T16:28:30.217-07:00Flank Steak with Asparagus Topping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLKTGGDPBUo/UD1PmwfPIoI/AAAAAAAAPxk/8VP4byuiP1w/s1600/20120828_173704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLKTGGDPBUo/UD1PmwfPIoI/AAAAAAAAPxk/8VP4byuiP1w/s400/20120828_173704.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I'm not sure what to even call this, but it was good! I'm sure a fancier lettuce would have elevated the dish, but this is called using the&nbsp;ingredients&nbsp;on hand. I was really craving <a href="http://thefrickinchicken.blogspot.com/2011/08/grilled-sirloin-with-poblano-pesto.html">THIS dish</a>, but I did not have the right stuff. But it did get me thinking and it led me to this creation.<br /><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Flank Steak with&nbsp;Asparagus Topping</span><br /><br />Flank or Skirt Steak<br />2 limes<br />2 cloves of garlic<br />splash&nbsp;of vinegar (I used rice wine, but red or apple cider would be fine.)<br />10-12 stalks of aspargus<br />1/4 cup pecans<br />1/4 cup feta cheese<br />2 tsp honey<br />olive oil<br /><br />Mix 1 tsp honey, salt and pepper, half a lime and some olive oil (a tsp or two) in a small bowl and pour over flank steak. Either grill the steak or put it under a high broiler. I did the broiler for 7 minutes on one side and about 3 on the second side. Let it rest before cutting it across the grain.<br /><br />Topping<br />Mince garlic and add to a small skillet. Cut&nbsp;asparagus&nbsp;in 1/4 inch pieces. Crush nuts and add them. Add a tbsp of olive or two and a splash of vinegar. Saute until asparagus has cooked for 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat and add feta, stir to melt it in. Taste and add salt as needed.<br /><br />Make a side salad and serve steak on the side or on top of the lettuce. Top with the asparagus topping. I made a simple salad dressing that was the same as the steak marinade.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-55783449573595063512012-08-22T03:49:00.001-07:002012-08-22T03:51:52.509-07:00Fruit Pancakes and Fig CompoteI love fruit pancakes, and they are a great way to use fruit that is getting a little soft.&nbsp; Right now in Turkey it is fig season.&nbsp;&nbsp; Fresh figs should almost look too soft to eat.&nbsp; Stay away from the firm ones.&nbsp; The ones that are starting to split at the bottom and have a tiny glistening drop emerging from the star shaped fissure are perfectly ripe.&nbsp; But, since they often get ripe all at the same time, you may have too many and they can get mushy on you.&nbsp; While I love a soft fig, mushy is not my thing! Also in Turkey it is difficult to get maple syrup, so I am always looking for alternatives.<br />This morning made fig and peach pancakes with a fig compote.&nbsp; For the pancakes, follow your own favorite recipe whatever that may be and throw in any fruit that is slightly soft.&nbsp; <br /><span style="color: #008a00; font-size: medium;">Fresh Fig Compote</span><br />1-1 1/2 cups of over-ripe figs (they are the sweetest) <br />1 tsp lemon juice <br />1/4&nbsp; cup of water<br /><span style="color: black;">Roughly chop soft over-ripened figs, put in saucepan with lemon juice and water.&nbsp; Boil down while pancakes are cooking.&nbsp; If needed add more water, or boil down longer to desired consistency.&nbsp; I like my chunky, but you could mash it if you would like it smoother.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="color: black;">Drizzle anywhere you please…pancakes, yogurt, ice-cream—use your imagination!</span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><span style="color: red;">-Jules</span><br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dMoc6VHF-7k/UDS5J2kVRqI/AAAAAAAAFps/BGpDROhT4hg/s1600-h/20120822_130246%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="20120822_130246" border="0" height="304" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Pz4tVhX41Es/UDS5LqjmNNI/AAAAAAAAFp0/a6oe4I5qSPA/20120822_130246_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin: 0px auto 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20120822_130246" width="400" /></a>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06223847633625286061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-77538761923924195522012-08-16T16:40:00.001-07:002012-08-16T16:40:16.019-07:00Garlic Butter Chicken Wings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DV3Yb9voRh0/UC16RdWUJeI/AAAAAAAAPq4/NEv5YTee8o0/s1600/20120816_173333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DV3Yb9voRh0/UC16RdWUJeI/AAAAAAAAPq4/NEv5YTee8o0/s400/20120816_173333.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I'm so excited these came out exactly like my mind pictured them when I decided to make this recipe. I'm sure you've heard me mention before how much my twin daughters (4.5 yrs old) love chicken wings. I usually make the <a href="http://thefrickinchicken.blogspot.com/2011/04/balsamic-chicken-drumettes.html">balsamic wings</a>&nbsp;and was afraid to&nbsp;deviate from that recipe, figuring it was the glaze that they liked and not&nbsp;necessarily&nbsp;the chicken wings. But they ate these up just as&nbsp;heartily&nbsp;as the others. The bonus is that these wings were a lot easier to make!<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Garlic Butter Chicken Wings</b></span><br /><br />20-24 wings and drummettes<br />2-3 tbsp butter<br />1/4 cup of olive oil<br />4-5 cloves of garlic<br />sea salt<br />pepper<br />parsley<br />hot sauce (I put it on at the table, since my kids don't like spicy)<br /><br />Grate or finely chop the garlic in a small sauce pan. Add the butter, salt, olive oil and pepper. Simmer on very low for 20-30 minutes. This mellows the garlic out. Pour over raw chicken wings and let marinade for at least an hour. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the marinaded chicken wings out where they are not touching. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Chop parsley. Put chicken wings in a serving bowl, pour the run-off pan juices on top and sprinkle the parsley on and toss. Enjoy!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-83108847329354797062012-07-25T19:34:00.002-07:002012-07-25T19:34:41.166-07:00Mexican Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lBfGT2b7rc/UBCsGFRAddI/AAAAAAAAPkQ/crfGYpZxzbw/s1600/20120725_172742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lBfGT2b7rc/UBCsGFRAddI/AAAAAAAAPkQ/crfGYpZxzbw/s400/20120725_172742.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;">Disappointed</span>&nbsp;in my photo, because it doesn't show off this dinner very well. It is actually two layers of tortillas. I browned each layer in a skillet with a bit of bacon grease. Then I layed one spelt tortilla down, topped with some homemade refried beans, salsa and cheese. Then a second tortilla, taco meat and more cheese. In the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is nice and melty. Top with lettuce, onions, more salsa, and sour cream. Very tasty!<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-33492343179234203872012-07-20T07:02:00.002-07:002012-07-20T07:03:21.708-07:00Zuppa Tuscano<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJDpTnxZpC0/UAg08gIsfCI/AAAAAAAAPic/C0Bx3KcGPow/s1600/DSC08652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJDpTnxZpC0/UAg08gIsfCI/AAAAAAAAPic/C0Bx3KcGPow/s400/DSC08652.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Who doesn't love the salad at Olive Garden? It's one of the best first course&nbsp;restaurant&nbsp;salads out there. But you have to choose between salad OR soup when you go. And if you've ever had their Zuppa Tuscano soup, it's pretty darn great. Which makes you think, should I get it or the salad? So now I can have it whenever I want. This isn't an official copycat recipe. It's been months since I've been to Olive Garden. I did not look up a recipe for this, I just made it from memory and it tastes pretty spot on from my memory. Except better, because I know there is no MSG, or bullion cubes or other&nbsp;ingredients&nbsp;that chain&nbsp;restaurants&nbsp;may or may not use.<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Zuppa Tuscano Soup</b></span><br /><br />2 slices of bacon<br />2 stalks of celery<br />12-16 oz of mild italian sausage (no msg or nitrates!)<br />1 large or 2 small potatoes<br />1 tsp dill<br />2 tsp dried basil<br />salt and pepper<br />4-5 stalks of kale<br />1 cup cream<br />5-6 cups homemade chicken stock<br /><br />Cut up bacon and add it to a soup pot. Cook until bacon is almost crispy. Next put the sausage in the pot. If your sausage is in casings, cut the casings open and squeeze the sausage out. With the edge of your spoon, break up the meat into crumbles as it browns. Add the celery and continue&nbsp;sauteing. Add seasonings (dill, basil, salt and pepper.) Very thinly slice your potatoes. You can leave the peels on as I did, or peel them. Add stock and cream. Pull the kale leaves off of the hard stalk and chop into bite size pieces. Stir everything together and last add the kale.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-26937933696921831072012-07-18T06:53:00.000-07:002012-07-18T06:53:32.719-07:00Taco Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ffDzN4mLP4/UAa56731p2I/AAAAAAAAPiI/K02Hs0CJqdE/s1600/DSC08640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ffDzN4mLP4/UAa56731p2I/AAAAAAAAPiI/K02Hs0CJqdE/s400/DSC08640.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M0zAIN8RUnw/UAa50xwkzPI/AAAAAAAAPh4/MkGu4XcuoWs/s1600/DSC08633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M0zAIN8RUnw/UAa50xwkzPI/AAAAAAAAPh4/MkGu4XcuoWs/s400/DSC08633.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--fnLO6Igx9I/UAa54QHQ3jI/AAAAAAAAPiA/iD5fc6K7OdM/s1600/DSC08634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--fnLO6Igx9I/UAa54QHQ3jI/AAAAAAAAPiA/iD5fc6K7OdM/s400/DSC08634.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />A few days ago I saw something labeled as Taco Pie on Pinterest. The thought of it struck with me and I decided to make my own version. I think the Pinned version had a potato flake crust, which just seemed a bit odd to me. So I changed up the crust and made a few other adjustments, such as taking out the packaged taco seasoning and came up with this version which I think is pretty awesome. I basically took the idea of a 7 layer dip and made it into a meal instead of an appetizer. My husband took one bite and said, "Oh my god, this is SO good." Of course my 4.5 year old twins looked at it and said, "Ew... it looks disgusting." Once I got them to taste it though, they were pleasantly surprised and told me it tasted better than it looked. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Cornmeal Crust</b></span><br />3/4 cup of cornmeal<br />1/4 cup flour<br />1 tsp salt<br />2/3 cup of cold butter<br />4-5 tbsp of ice cold water<br /><br />I used to make pie crusts in a food processor before my food processor bit the dust a few months ago. I'll describe both methods.<br />Food&nbsp;Processor: Put flours and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add cut up butter and pulse until it resembled wet sand. Add ice water one tablespoon at at a time until dough pulls from the side and makes a ball. Do not over process. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in your fridge to rest for about 15-20 minutes.<br /><br />By hand: Mix flours and salt in a large bowl. Add cubed butter. With two knives start "cutting" the butter into the flour. You do this by holding a knife in each hand and cut across the flour and butter, this is cutting the butter and incorporating it into the flour. Again you are left with sand like texture. Add your ice water and with your hands gently massage the dough until it forms a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and put in your fridge to rest for about 15-20 minutes.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Taco Meat:</span></b><br />1/2 onion<br />1 bell pepper<br />1 lb ground beef<br />3-4 cloves garlic<br />1 tsp ground oregano<br />1 tsp cumin<br />2 tsp chili powder<br />salt &amp; pepper<br />3-4 tbsp of tomato paste<br />3 tbsp cornmeal<br /><br />Cut onion into small pieces and saute in a bit of butter with bell pepper. Add garlic and seasonings. Add ground beef. Stir the beef as it is cooking so it crumbles into small pieces. When the beef is cooked through, add tomato paste and then the cornmeal. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Cheese Sauce:</span></b><br />2 tbsp butter<br />2 tbsp flour<br />2 tsp tomato paste<br />1/2 tsp cumin<br />garlic (powder or clove)<br />3/4 cup milk<br />1 cup grated cheese<br /><br />Melt 2 tbsp butter in a small sauce pan. Add 2 tbsp flour and whisk together. Add 3/4 cup of milk and whisk until there are no lumps. Add &nbsp;tsp of tomato paste, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper and either some garlic powder or a grated clove of garlic. Last add cheese (I used&nbsp;monterrey&nbsp;jack, but cheddar or your favorite would work.) Stir until melted. Set aside.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Taco Pie Assembly!</span></b><br /><br />1 Cornmeal Crust<br />1 recipe cheese sauce<br />Refried Beans<br />cheese<br />salsa<br />Sour Cream<br />chopped lettuce<br />olives<br /><br />Roll out pie crust by liberally sprinkling counter with flour. Place in pie plate and form the pie shell. Scoop taco meat in the pie crust. Top with cheese. Add left over refried beans, or some from a can. (Check your ingredients if you used can and do not buy refried beans with hydrogenated oils.) Top with some cheese and bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until crust gets crispy.<br /><br />Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. (This helps with the cutting.) Top with salsa, sour cream, chopped lettuce and olives. Other toppings that would be good are avocados or tomatoes. I hop you enjoy!<br /><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-46169382350473502672012-07-08T17:23:00.000-07:002012-07-08T17:23:06.125-07:00Baked Chicken, Easy Mac & Creamed Spinach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V8rxPJcMq2c/T_oT9XLbNOI/AAAAAAAAPhE/M0VkT_4duBw/s1600/DSC08589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V8rxPJcMq2c/T_oT9XLbNOI/AAAAAAAAPhE/M0VkT_4duBw/s400/DSC08589.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This was so tasty, so easy and fast to put together.<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Baked Chicken</span></b><br /><br />1 tbsp ground sage<br />1 tsp cumin<br />1 tsp chili powder<br />1/2 tsp garlic powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp pepper<br />1 cup pineapple juice (lemon juice or orange juice would be good too.)<br />1/2 stick butter<br />6-8 chicken bone-in legs (or breasts)<br /><br />Mix all the seasonings in a bowl. Put on chicken and rub it in well. Pour juice on top and marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Put 1/2 stick of butter in a baking dish and put it in the oven while it preheats at 375 degrees. When butter is melted, pull out the baking dish and toss the chicken in the butter. Pour juice on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 425 and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until skin is nice and brown.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">From Scratch Easy Mac</span></b><br /><br />8 - 10 oz noodles of choice<br />1/2 package of cream cheese, cubed<br />1 cup shredded cheddar or montery jack<br />1/2 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)<br /><br />Cook noodles. Drain most of the water out. Add noodles to the pot and add the cream cheese, cheddar and cream. Stir until everything melts and comes together. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Creamed Spinach</span></b><br /><br />2 slices of bacon, cut in bits<br />5-6 button mushrooms, sliced<br />8ish loose cups of baby spinach<br />splash of heavy cream<br /><br />Saute bacon and mushrooms in a pan until bacon is crispy. Add spinach and stir until it cooks down. Add a splash of cream, salt and pepper.<br /><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-39549342712212361232012-07-06T09:44:00.002-07:002012-07-06T09:47:26.521-07:00From Scratch Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tuL0h3Q9lLc/T_cLvp0F-II/AAAAAAAAPgs/9He7H7Vd6kE/s1600/DSC08475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tuL0h3Q9lLc/T_cLvp0F-II/AAAAAAAAPgs/9He7H7Vd6kE/s400/DSC08475.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yum. Homemade Pepperoni and Olive Pizza.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqWRZOhgAHc/T_cLqiSh6bI/AAAAAAAAPgM/keD3IgL7bdk/s1600/120703_TomatoSauce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqWRZOhgAHc/T_cLqiSh6bI/AAAAAAAAPgM/keD3IgL7bdk/s400/120703_TomatoSauce.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Homemade Red Sauce. YUM, seriously I have a trick to make this so delicious!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYNmF5SwiEc/T_cLsM4EU9I/AAAAAAAAPgU/LWv_bDImaUI/s1600/DSC08469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYNmF5SwiEc/T_cLsM4EU9I/AAAAAAAAPgU/LWv_bDImaUI/s400/DSC08469.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Sauce on homemade dough.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JMDqfrwUShM/T_cLs811oHI/AAAAAAAAPgc/f68R8M4YwZk/s1600/DSC08470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JMDqfrwUShM/T_cLs811oHI/AAAAAAAAPgc/f68R8M4YwZk/s400/DSC08470.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Top it how you like. There is a reason for the Christmas plastic placemat, but you could probably use an Easter one too... ;o)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vdqLHIPGlzU/T_cLuJRJXCI/AAAAAAAAPgk/SGLNGa2Mn3o/s1600/DSC08472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vdqLHIPGlzU/T_cLuJRJXCI/AAAAAAAAPgk/SGLNGa2Mn3o/s400/DSC08472.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Waiting to cut into is so important, but it sure is hard to wait!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u8HcVgeQx4k/T_cLwpGOV-I/AAAAAAAAPg0/G6K6Wn64iVU/s1600/DSC08476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u8HcVgeQx4k/T_cLwpGOV-I/AAAAAAAAPg0/G6K6Wn64iVU/s400/DSC08476.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>An old friend introduced me to Ranch dressing on my pizza and now there is no turning back. At least, homemade makes it good for you! (Please ignore the chips in my dishes, I usually angle my camera away from them, but this time I was too much in a hurry to eat!)<br /><br />Okay, I've been on hiatus for awhile so at least I'm bringing you three yummy recipes all at once. I've done pizza on this blog before, but it's been awhile and this time I have some new methods. Now this is a traditional yeasty recipe, but if you are looking for grain free crusts, you should try a cauliflower crust or an <a href="http://thefrickinchicken.blogspot.com/2010/12/almond-flour-crust-pizza.html">almond crust pizza</a>, they are actually really good!<br /><span style="color: #6aa84f;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: red;">Pizza Crust</span></b><br /><br />1 cup of warm water<br />2.5 tsp of yeast (or one packet)<br />1 tbsp honey<br />1/2 cup olive oil <br />3 (ish) cups of flour (I used white-wheat)<br />2 tbsp gluten<br />1.5 tsp salt<br />cornmeal<br /><br />Water should be warm, but you should be able to comfortably put your finger in it. If it is too hot for you finger it will kill the yeast. Sprinkle yeast in the water and add the honey. Whisk with a fork and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Get out either your food processor or your kitchenaid mixer (I've used both for this recipe) if you use the processor, the regular metal blade will work. If you use your mixer use the dough hook. You could also do this by hand, you'll just need to knead for a lot longer.<br /><br />Pour the flour, gluten, olive oil and salt in your mixer. And stir to get it mixed in. (You can leave out the gluten, your crust just won't be as stretchy.) When the yeast has bubbled up quite a bit, pour it in the flour and mix for a good 10 minutes. If you are doing it by hand knead for 15-20 minutes. Your dough should be shiny and pulled away from the sides of the mixer. If it isn't pulling away and is really sticky within the first minute or two of mixing, slowly sprinkle more flour in until it does. Take the dough out, roll it in a ball, coat thinly with more olive oil and let it rest in a warm spot for at least an hour.<br /><br />Meanwhile....<br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><b>Red Sauce</b></span><br />(By the way, this sauce is easy to make in bulk and then freeze)<br /><br />1 can of crushed/diced OR pureed tomatoes (I get the big can... I think it's 32 oz?)<br />1/2 stick of butter (the secret ingredient)<br />1.5 tbsp of dried basil<br />1 tbsp dried oregano<br />3-5 cloves garlic (depending on how garlicy you want it and how big your cloves are)<br />1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (more if you want a spicy sauce)<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Basically, put all the ingredients in a pot (I grate the garlic in) and stir until the butter melts and incorporates in the sauce. Then let it bubble away on low on your stove for 30 minutes up to an hour. Depending on if you are using this for a pizza or a&nbsp;spaghetti&nbsp;sauce, is what kind of tomatoes you want to start with. Or, if you only have diced tomatoes like I did, then I used my stick&nbsp;immersion&nbsp;blender to puree it up. This sauce is SO good, and don't you dare skimp out on the butter.<br /><br />Using high quality butter from grass fed cows (kerrygold is a great brand) is actually GOOD for you. Read this article on the <a href="http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/untold-story-of-butter/">Untold Story of Butter</a>. Also, eating enough high quality animal fats helps with <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/should-you-use-sunscreen/">preventing sunburns</a>!<br /><br /><b>Homemade Ranch Dressing</b><br /><br />There are fancy homemade recipes, but I like my simple one. It does start with homemade mayo, which does take some practice.<br /><br />1 cup of <a href="http://thefrickinchicken.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-mayonnaise.html">homemade mayo</a><br />1/4 -1/2 cup sour cream (do this to how sour you like the taste)<br />1/2 tsp grated garlic clove<br />2 tsp dried dill<br />1/2 tsp celery seed<br />salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Mix everything together and enjoy!<br /><br />I love the quote, "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, first you must create the universe." So keeping this in mind, I could have taken this pizza even further by making my own&nbsp;mozzarella&nbsp;and a few of the other&nbsp;prepared&nbsp;ingredients, like the pepperoni, but I'm satisfied with this "from scratch" version!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-80765101068211960692012-05-19T19:03:00.001-07:002012-05-19T19:04:42.322-07:00Enchilada Casserole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uA7BhF7wBtQ/T7hOYLguoZI/AAAAAAAAPG0/11MWd6wKdAw/s1600/120519_EnchiladaCasserole+%281%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uA7BhF7wBtQ/T7hOYLguoZI/AAAAAAAAPG0/11MWd6wKdAw/s400/120519_EnchiladaCasserole+%281%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Is there ever a good way to photograph a casserole? <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bwwzws4vaO8/T7hOZiNwOuI/AAAAAAAAPG8/NPBFW_Rc-TE/s1600/120519_EnchiladaCasserole+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bwwzws4vaO8/T7hOZiNwOuI/AAAAAAAAPG8/NPBFW_Rc-TE/s400/120519_EnchiladaCasserole+%283%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />This dish was inspired by a pin off of pinterest. The original recipe was called something like Texas Ranch Casserole. But as soon as we ate my dish the family exclaimed, it tastes like enchiladas! Like I said, I took the original recipe as an inspiration point and made several changes. The biggest was to replace the canned soup with real cream. I kept this very mild since my kids don't like spicy food, but feel free to throw in some jalapenos or other favorite peppers to add some heat!<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><b style="color: #6aa84f;">Enchilada Casserole</b><br />12 corn tortillas<br />2 cups shredded chicken<br />2 cups heavy cream<br />1 pablano chili <br />1 red bell pepper<br />3 stalks of celery<br />1 onion<br />3 cloves garlic <br />3 tbsp chili powder<br />1 tbsp celery seed<br />1 can roasted tomatoes, diced <br />1.5 - 2 cups shredded cheese<br />1/4 cup cornmeal<br />butter for sauteing in and for greasing casserole dish with<br /><br />Dice onion and start it sauteing in a pat of butter. Chop celery and add it to the onion. Next dice up the bell pepper, pablano chili and garlic. Add all of that to the onion and celery. Saute until vegetables soften. Add celery seed and chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir well. Next sprinkle in the cornmeal and toss all the vegetables in it. Quickly add the heavy cream and stir. Bring to a boil. Add the can of tomatoes, undrained. Let it simmer, stirring frequently until everything thickens up. Add 1/2 to a 1/3 grated cheese. Once thickened, turn off heat and add in cooked shredded chicken. <br /><br />Grease a casserole dish with butter. Cut tortillas into strips. Line one layer of dish with tortillas and some of the grated cheese. Spoon in some of the chicken-vegetable mixture. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat until you get to the top of the dish. Top with extra cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. <br /><i><br />By the way, my husband came in and tasted the dish right before I added the chicken. He thought I was making a nacho cheese dip. He grabbed a tortilla chip and dipped it in and said, that it was a GREAT dip and for me to write down what I did so I could replicate it for him. So I'm obliging his request. :)</i>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-13800636294020550082012-03-27T18:17:00.003-07:002012-03-27T18:18:27.736-07:00Cream of Asparagus Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gfr4N5IOh9E/T3JITazsG8I/AAAAAAAAO2c/dJvB1CuckVU/s1600/120327_CreamOfAsparagusSoup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gfr4N5IOh9E/T3JITazsG8I/AAAAAAAAO2c/dJvB1CuckVU/s400/120327_CreamOfAsparagusSoup.JPG" width="400" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found a soup that was a winner with the entire family! This Cream of Aspargus soup was easy to make but it had a lot of steps and ended up dirtying up way too many pots and pans. I'm not sure how I would condense it down to less pot and pans and have it taste as good though. I was so happy when I saw the kids eating this green soup without so much as a complaint! Since my four year olds are baulking at the mention of vegetables lately, I'm getting creative! Halfway through Izzie mentioned that her dinner didn't have "any" vegetables in it. I told her that it was green because I pureed the asparagus. She just shrugged and said, "I like asparagus this way!"&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6aa84f; text-align: left;"><b>&nbsp;Cream of Asparagus Soup with Grilled Chicken</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6aa84f; text-align: left;">Equipment:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 soup pot</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 saute pan with high edges</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 grill pan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cookie sheet</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">immersion blender (or regular blender) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ingredients:</span></div>1 pint of mushrooms<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 pint of heavy cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">bacon grease </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">salt &amp; pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">parmesan cheese </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">handful of pine nuts</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 chicken breasts</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 bushel of asparagus</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tbsp of butter </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp of tarragon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp of thyme</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 onion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cloves of garlic</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 quart of chicken stock</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mince your mushrooms up finely. Set aside. Put asparagus on cookie sheet and roast them at 425 for about 12 minutes. (You could skip this step, but I think it brings out the flavor of the asparagus.) Chop onion and garlic and put in them in the soup pot with the butter. Cook on medium stirring often to soften onions. Add seasonings (tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper.)</div><br />Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a dry saute pan. Remove to a bowl and set aside. (At this point you could cook your chicken in the saute pan to save dirtying your grill pan, but I like the grill pan.) If you are not cooking your chicken in the saute pan, put the bacon grease and mushrooms in. Stir until mushrooms are caramelized. Add heavy cream, salt and pepper. Stir on medium-high until cream thickens. Set aside.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Take your now cooked asparagus and put them in your soup pot. Add chicken broth. With an immersion blender, blend until asparagus breaks down completely. It's pretty fibrous, so it takes awhile. When it is done, pour the cream of mushroom soup that you made into the soup pot. Stir to incorporate. Add parmesan cheese to taste. Serve with the grilled chicken and pine nuts. </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-16499649062917475392012-03-10T16:11:00.001-08:002012-03-10T16:12:05.310-08:00Autumn Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGLwMi6xiXw/T1vrXr-ejWI/AAAAAAAAO0E/LSACqn9XMfQ/s1600/120310_AutumnSalad+%281%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGLwMi6xiXw/T1vrXr-ejWI/AAAAAAAAO0E/LSACqn9XMfQ/s400/120310_AutumnSalad+%281%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Autumn Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AS_K_mEjmcE/T1vrZgzckEI/AAAAAAAAO0M/X6nDUPXp9zk/s1600/120310_AutumnSalad+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AS_K_mEjmcE/T1vrZgzckEI/AAAAAAAAO0M/X6nDUPXp9zk/s400/120310_AutumnSalad+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Autumn Salad<br /><br />I was looking some light and refreshing dinners/lunches and came across this salad that looked so yummy! Full of a bunch of my favorite things I knew this salad would be a hit with the entire family. Sure enough, my daughter Maddie ate and entire salad bowl of this and asked for more. Izzie isn't feeling well today, so she just wanted a small cup of my chicken noodle soup to sip on during dinner time. I'm not putting down amounts, just put ratios of what you like. This is a chop salad, so all the ingredients should be roughly the same size. My husband who also liked the salad suggested apples instead of pears next time. They'd give a bit more crunch. <br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Autumn Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing</b></div><br />romaine lettuce<br />pecans<br />cranberries<br />feta cheese<br />bacon, cooked<br />pear or apple<br />leftover poached chicken<br /><br />Chop everything into close to equal sizes and toss with Poppy Seed Dressing (below.)<br /><br /><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Poppy Seed Dressing</b></div>1 tsp mustard<br />1 cup of olive oil<br />3-4 tbsp apple cider vinegar<br />2 tbsp sugar<br />2 tbsp maple syrup<br />1 tsp salt<br />1.5 tbsp poppy seeds<br /><br />In a medium size bowl put 1 tsp of mustard. Drizzle in an equal amount of oil and start to whisk. When completely combined slowly, slowly drizzle in more oil as you whisk. When about half the oil is whisked in drizzle in sugar, maple syrup and apple cider viengar and salt. Continue drizzling the oil until it is gone. Stir in poppy seeds and taste. Adjust as necessary for seasonings.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-51350856327675974792012-03-09T10:48:00.003-08:002012-03-09T10:48:56.272-08:00BeeSting Panini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-939Abr09LdI/T1pOz8sgB3I/AAAAAAAAOzs/bOeH-NCkKmA/s1600/120309_BeeStingPanini+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-939Abr09LdI/T1pOz8sgB3I/AAAAAAAAOzs/bOeH-NCkKmA/s400/120309_BeeStingPanini+%283%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I came across this recipe while looking for some fun lunch ideas and it intrigued me enough that I had to make my own version of the sandwich. It's called a BeeSting Panini because it has honey and red pepper flakes. I love the salty/sweet/spicy combo of this sandwich, and I've already made two of them! I simplified down the original recipe which can be found on the <a href="http://www.grilledcheesesocial.com/search?updated-max=2011-08-11T08:26:00-07:00&amp;max-results=1">Grilled Cheese Social Blog</a>. <br /><div style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</div><br /><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Bee Sting Panini</b></div><br />two slices of ciabata bread (or other crusty bread)<br />enough pepperoni to make a nice layer in your sandwich<br />a few slices of fresh mozzarella cheese<br />local, raw honey<br />4-5 basil leaves<br />butter<br />pinch of red pepper flakes<br /><br />Drizzle honey on each side of your ciabata bread. Chiffonad your basil and put it down on top of the honey. Layer in pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.Close sandwich and spread outside of bread with butter. Sprinkle hot pepper flakes in the butter and grill in a panini press until bread is crispy and cheese is melted. Enjoy!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224401411546844072.post-70848667555716019552012-03-05T14:41:00.004-08:002012-03-05T14:41:45.701-08:00Sausage and Potatoes in the Oven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A1mnndzX-_8/T1U_dVM_BpI/AAAAAAAAOzg/8a9BP5VNZ0w/s1600/120305_SausagePotatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A1mnndzX-_8/T1U_dVM_BpI/AAAAAAAAOzg/8a9BP5VNZ0w/s400/120305_SausagePotatoes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I'm pretty excited about tonight's yummy dinner. Mostly because I'm not in a cooking mood lately and this was easy. I do this on the stove top often, but this is the first time I've done it in the oven. Same amount of chopping, but instead of having to babysit the stove, the oven did the work.<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">-Amanda</span><br /><br /><div style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Sausage &amp; Potatoes in the Oven</b></div><br />1 sausage<br />1 bell pepper<br />1 big potato<br />2 carrots<br />1/2 yellow onion<br />2 slices of bacon<br />1 garlic clove<br />pinch of fennel<br />salt &amp; pepper<br />1/2 cup beef stock<br />splash of balsamic vinegar<br />1/2 stick of butter <br /><br />Chop your bell pepper, carrots and potato into bit size pieces. Same thing with the onion. Slice your sausage into 1/2 inch disks. Throw all of that into a nice baking dish (I love this stoneware from Pampered Chef!) Cut bacon into small pieces and place all around the top. Grate your garlic into the dish, sprinkle with salt, pepper and fennel. Add the beef broth and balsamic vinegar. Cube butter and dot it across the top. Cover and bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Uncover and bake at 400 for 15 minutes to get some carmelization. <br /><br />You could also add cabbage to this dish, or other root vegetables that you have on hand.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530353457851225134noreply@blogger.com0